The Aclidian Legion
Decus Que Populus Imperii -- the Honor And Populous of the Empire* Structure:
The Aclidian Legions, collectively referred to as the Legion, represent the primary fighting force of the City of Aclidia and the Aclidian Empire as a whole. Through the application of sound tactics, iron discipline and excellent arms and armor, the Legion has conquered lands to the distant south, and provided a steadfast defense of Aclidian trade routes in the Northlands. The Legion stands as the first, and last, line of defense for Aclidia, and for eighty seasons they have held the line.
Unlike the mindless rabble that many wandering hordes and mercenary armies consist of, every legionnaire in the Aclidian Legion is a consummate professional, whose only vocation is fighting on the behalf of Aclidia. Althougth they are not trained to fight as individual warriors, legionnaires practice the use of their swords (gladius) and shields (scutum) on a daily basis. In addition, the Legion's Centurions routinely drill their troops in formations that emphasis the advantages of their armaments, formations which, like an immense millstone, are designed to slowly grind the enemy into submission.
Currently, the city of Aclidia maintains three separate legions, each consisting of 3000 beasts at arms. At their core, Aclidian legions are broken down into multiples of ten, the most basic unit consisting of nine legionnaires led by an officer. This small unit is called a contubernium. Ten contubernium constitute a centuria, or century, and five centuries are grouped together to form a cohort of 500 beasts. A legion at full strength contains six cohorts.
Ranks:
Legate --> Imperator --> Tribune --> Centurion --> Decanus --> Legionnaire.
Legate: The legate of an Aclidian legion is the head of the army. Although they take direct orders from the Provincial Governor, legates are afforded a level of independence with commanding their respective legion. Commonly, a legate will remain off the field of battle, leaving the implementation of his strategies and battle plans to the imperator beneath him. legates are generally promoted members of the Aclidian noble council, hand picked by the Provincial Governor to head their own legion.
Imperator: Field commander of a legion.
Tribune: The senior centurion in a cohort, normally there are six tribunes in a single legion.
Centurion: Veteran legionnaires who have shown not only courage in battle, but also a knowledge of command. centurions are often highly decorated officers, and are solely responsible for training and disciplining their centuria.
Decanus: Legionnaires who have shown initiative and skill on and off the battlefield are promoted to the rank of decanus. A decanus commands nine legionnaires, organized into a contubernium, and assist their centurion in executing formations during battle.
Legionnaires: Amongst the mass troops organized into a legion the single legionnaire can appear to be a lost thing, but the skill and discipline of these beasts decide the fate of every battle. While not as skilled in individual combat as the common warrior, legionnaires are highly trained to fight in formation, and as a unit they are a force to be reckoned with.
- Roughly translated from the old Aclidian tongue.
